The present invention relates to aromatization of non-aromatic C.sub.6 to C.sub.12 hydrocarbons using a catalyst which comprises a layered silicate and a base metal or noble metal.
The production of aromatic hydrocarbons from non-aromatic hydrocarbons using certain shape-selective catalysts materials is well-known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,942 to Cattanach teaches such a method using a zinc-exchanged ZSM-5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,689 to Davies et al teaches conversion of C.sub.3 to C.sub.12 hydrocarbons to aromatics using gallium-activated zeolite such as ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, or ZSM-35 which is gallium-exchanged or gallium-impregnated. Although the incorporation of a metal of mild dehydrogenation function such as zinc or gallium activates the catalyst for aromatization reactions, loss of the metal, for example by elution, commonly occurs under the high temperature reducing conditions encountered in aromatization. U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,569 to Chu et al teaches a method to reduce such elution by incorporating gallium as well as zinc into a zeolite aromatization catalyst. All of these U.S. Patents are incorporated herein by reference.